Method of supplying alpha combustible mixture to internal-combustion motors



y y --w. A. EDWARDS.

METHOD SUPPLYING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE T0 INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS Filed Nov. 13. 1920.

4l'lllunn III/iif` Patented i May 10, i927# UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A EDWARDS, or aannam, Immers.'

METHOD or sYUrPLYINe A'col/Inusfr-11amY MIx'rUnn '.ro INTEnNaL-coMBUs'rIoN Amorons.

Application mea'mvember 1s', 1920. Seriana-123,987.

This invention relates in general to inmobile, of a mixture of fuel and-air, whichv mixture is thenvcondueted as such to a point in proximity to the engine where itis re-` wherever located as an atomlzed mixture of duced in richness by the admixture therewith of a suicient amount of arto meet the requirements of the engi-ne at the s eed at which 'it may be running. The imtial mixture at the tank is ofsubstantially uni'- form richness .for low speedsof the engine and isof properproportions to enable the engine to idle Without theadmixture therewith of additional air. Furthermore my invention also breaks up and highly atomizes the fuel at the tankproducing a relativel homogeneous -mixture `at that point -whie becomes. further broken andl homogenized during its travel overjrelatively long horizontal distance through a relatively small diametered conduit, due to the frequency of the' repeated impacts of ,the minute' liquid globules which are carried in suspension in the' air current, against the conduit wall, occurring due to the vibration of the current which results from the friction, the mixture becomes, to an appreciable extent, vaporized en route thus augmenting its combustibility and etciency.

One of the primary purposes .of my invention, therefore, is to -so finel breakup the fuel particles, and to so t orouglily, mix them with and surround each particle y the requisitev amount of air for its combustlon before the charge is admitted to the cylinder, that upon the production of the'spark,

the entire charge will explode 'instantaneously to exert a maximum effort against/the piston.

Another feature 'of my invention resides in the fact that in the charge such as I' have escribed, a less amount of f-uel is employed than would be required in an'ordinary charge.V

In the use of the .vacuum feed systems with which automobiles are customarily equipped at the present time, the fuel' is carreduction of a rie'd as aliquid from4`v the tank at the rear Aof the car to a receptacle located under the hood and above thelevel of the carburetor and in aeroplanes also the fuel is conducted uid to the carbureter. lLeakage in line or from the receptacle not infrequently results in disastrous conlagrations.,` ln the use of my invention, however,

'the fuel is not conducted asaliquid, but on the contrary, is conducted from the rear end of the car or from the fuel supply tank fuel 'and air and a leak inthe pipe line will not result in leakage of the liquid fuel and thel collection thereof at some point where it is liable to become accidentall ignited, with disastrous results,-but aleak 1n the line can produce no worse result than the drawing of a surplus of air into the mixture delivered to the cylinders, which will render it so weak that the motor may fail to operate. All ,dangers of contlagration from leaky lines are therefore entirely eliminated. v

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention will bereadily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings,

upon Which'one practical and preferred aparatus for carrying my method into effect,

. means of which my improved methodmay be racticed;

ig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the primary mixture-producing ap aratus; and

ig. 3 is a similar viewof the apparatus whereby the vapor is converted into a mixture of the required richness.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 5 indicates generally the chassis frame of an` automobile carrying at its forward e'nd the motor 6 and, lat its rear end beneath the frame, the gasoline fuel tank 7. My invention contemplates the production of a rich mixture at the tank 7, which mixture is conducted Ias such to a point in (proximity to the motor, where it is. converte by being automatically diluted with air, intoa mixture of the proper proleo portions required by the speed of the motor lvilvhich is then delivered to the motor cyliners.

For the purpose of producing a rich mix ture at the tanlr 7, I prefer to employ an apparatus such as is disclosed in Fig. 2, although other means tor accomplishingthis result might be substituted in lieu thereof. Referring to this ligure, it Will be observed that I have mounted on the top of the tank, an outstanding collar or ring 8, into which is threaded a plug or block 9 equipped With a depending tube 11, which is projected downwardly into the tanlr throughan opening in the top thereo'l' to a point near the bottom oit the tanlt. This plug 9 is threaded to receive a jet nozzle 12, and is also cored out to accommodate the lower end of a pipe or tube 13, which leads from the tank to a point in proximity to the motor. The tube is equipped adjacent the tip ot the nozzle 12 with a venturi 1d, and the lower end of the pipe 13 is provided with a series of laterally. opening ports 15 disposed 1n relfistration thrmed 1nv with similarly arranged ports'lG the annular Walls of the plug 9. A screen may be employed, if desired, around the plug to screen the air entering into the ports 16 and 15.

It will bc obvious that when suction is applied to the pipe 13, the inrush ot air into this pipe through the ports 16 and 15 will produce a vacuum in the throat of the venturi 14 sufficient to raise the liquid fuel from the tanlr 7 through the tube-1l and causeits discharge into the throat of the venturi, where it becomes atomized by the admixture therewith ot' the air flowing through the venturi.

The adrnixture ot' air and liquid fuel at this point is as thorough and complete as would ordinarily be secured with a carburetor, but the fuel particles are not sutilciently finely divided or so uniformily .distributed throughout the air as to produce the most etlicicnt results in the cylinders. The rich mixture is now conducted through the long pipe 13 at relatively high velocity and the time consumed in its travel from one end of the tube 13 to the other alfords an opportunity for further and liner subdivision of the 'uel particles and their more uniform admixture with the air in which they are carried and in fact an appreciable vaporization of the fuel takes place during its travel through the pipe 13. The homogenizing and vaporizing action resultin from the relatively long distance througi which the commingled air and fuel are in contact with each other in the pipe which is further facilitated by mechanical agitation of the mixture during its passage through the long pipe 13 resulting from friction between the rapidly traveling mixture and the surrounding walls of the pipe, in-

creases the homogenity anduniformity of the mixture to such an extentl that a much more homogeneous mixture is delivered from the pipe than was produced at the intake end of the pipe.

This mixture, which is delivered from the pipe 13, while homogeneous in character and composition, consistingy of minute particles of liquid fuel, carried in suspension in the air with which it is admixed, is, however, too rich or in other Words, too near the saturation point lfor erlcient utilization in the motor except at idling speeds. My invention contemplates, therefore, the reduction of this mixture to a point suited to the motor speed requirements by admixing therewith a suitable proportion of air, which in eliect, di`

lates the mixture and further disintegrates the fuel particles and disperses them throughout the resultant mixture so that each minute particle is surrounded with Sullicient air to support the instantaneous conihustion thereof.

For `the purpose of supplying this supplementary air in the requisite quantities and of vthoroughly connninglin the fpreviously produced mixture with tiis supplementary air, l prefer to employ a device substantially similar in principle to that disclosed in Fig. 1, and on a larger scale in Fig. 3. Referring to these figures, reference character 17 designates a curved pipe or conduit, equipped at one end with a circumferential flange 18, by which the same may be attached to a pipe section 19 connecting directly with the delivery pipe 21, which discharges into the manifold 22, the pipe section 19 bein preferably equi ped with an ordinary tirottlc valve 23, a aptedv to be manipulated by the driver in the usual manner.

LThe upper end of the .conduit 17 is equipped adjacent to the pipe section 19 with a venturi 24 and the vapor pipe 13 is introduced through an opening formed in the conduit 17 in alignment with this venturi,

the upper end of this pi e 13 terminating in the throat of the venturi as shown in Fig. 3.

Near the opposite end ot the conduit 17, I have provided a series of circumferential slots 25 through which atmospheric air is drawn into the conduit by the suction of the cylinders and immediately beneath these slots, the conduit is shaped to provide a valve seat 26 against which a disc valve 27 is ,adapted to seat under the influence of an expansion spring 28 surrounding the stem 2S) of the valve. In order toV permit a free flow of air around the valve disc when withdrawn from its seat, the conduit is preferably enlarged to provide an internal groove 31, as shown in F ig. 3.

For the purpose of steadying the action ot the valve 27 so as to prevent too rapid liuctuations ot' the valve, the upper end of the stem 29 is provided with a piston 32 slidably sponsive to tbe s eed of tbe en e under conditions other tban" idling to iary air to said mixture to modify the .character thereof in accordance with engine speed.

6. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an apparatus for supplying a combustible mixture. thereto comprising means for reducing a mixture of air and fuel. a con uit for conveying the mixture to tlie engine unmodified as to propo tions when idllng, a casing; surrounding the delivery end of the conduit and communicating with the engine, a valve in said casing, said valve being;r normally closed .but operable to automatically admit auxiliary air to the casing in response to the speed of the engine under condi ions other than idling, and means carried by the casing admit aunil- Y madam jacent the delivery end of the conduit where- Ibustible mixture to an internal combustion engine comprising means for producing a combustible mixture, a conduit for conveying the saine to an engine, a Venturi tube positioned adjacent to the delivery end of the conduit, und an air valve operatively associated with tlie Venturi tube and automatically responsive to engine speeds under engine conditions other than idling to admit air to said Venturi tube whereby to vary the rate of fuel supply through the conduit.

` WM. fin-EDWARDS. 

